Furthermore, Ponyboy’s dreaming and self-deception are associated with his lack of sense of safety, which directly leads to his escaping from reality. Initially, in chapter 3, Ponyboy dreams about living in the countryside with his parents and buddies, which is too ideal and even ludicrous under his circumstances. Then, in chapter 7, back to the night of his parents’ funeral, a horrible nightmare frightens Ponyboy and makes him scream. We can see that the deaths of parents affect Ponyboy’s mental status enormously; as a result, he worries that the orphans of Curtis would be sent to boys’ home, being separated with other Greasers. Furthermore, parental deaths put the heavy financial burden on Darry, the eldest brother of the Curtis, which leads